Milch cattle helps to bring self-sufficiency for Thanjavur transgender group
The Hindu
Donated milch cows help transgenders achieve success as milk sellers
A small group of transgender persons has found it possible to give up their earlier profession of soliciting alms and earn a more dignified living thanks to milch cows donated by the Ramakrishna Math in Thanjavur.
“These animals have come as a blessing and helped us to become self-sufficient, while gaining the respect of people around us. I hope that we will be able to expand our herd and bring in more transgenders to join us in the enterprise that we call ‘Sri Sarathamma Goshala’,” Sathya, 30, the transperson in charge of the Thanjavur-based five-member group, told The Hindu.
On Sunday, a cattle shed built at a cost of ₹1 lakh by the Math was inaugurated at Utharamangalam village, where the group maintains its herd. The Math also donated a cow and a calf on that day.
Sathya said that they first contacted Sri Ramakrishna Math for assistance during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. “We were given dry rations for several months, and then counselled by Swami Vimurthananda, the Adhyakshya, to adopt a more sustainable livelihood than seeking alms. This is when we requested for a milch cow and calf, so that we could survive by selling milk. We asked him to give us a year to prove ourselves,” they said.
In 2021, the Math gifted them another cow and calf, as the group’s venture took off.
Two women well-wishers of the group in Utharamangalam village allowed Sathya to keep the cattle on the land in front of their homes.
The transgender group now manages a herd of three milch cows and four calves.